Kwara state government has emerged UNICEF winner on immunisation coverage in the North Central zone with a cash prize of $500,000.

Speaking at the meeting of the taskforce on Immunisation and Primary Healthcare Agency in Ilorin at the weekend, the state deputy governor and chairman, State Task Force on Immunisation and Primary Healthcare Agency, Mr. Kayode Alabi, expressed determination of the state government at achieving highest peak of success on immunisation coverage in the country.

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The deputy governor, who said that the award, won by the Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, was given through the UNICEF mechanism method, added that the money was domiciled with the UNICEF to improve PHC in the state.

He said the feat recorded was with support of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, adding that the government is set to improve on past efforts in order to achieve greater heights.

Alabi also commended the governor for prompt release of counterpart funds for the forthcoming immunisation in the state, saying that the gesture showed his concern for health of people of Kwara state.

Also speaking, the executive secretary, Kwara State Primary Healthcare Development Agency, Dr. Nusirat Elelu, said that Governor Abdulrazaq has created a work plan to develop the PHC system with the fund.

“One of them is the renovation of few of the PHC systems as well as capacity building which was commenced with 10 days bi-monthly training for basic emergency and newborn care, such that 60 midwives were trained in emergency care during antenatal, delivery, and postnatal periods.

“Also, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq aims to strengthen data by ensuring that all programme officers involved, including the local immunization officers, Monitoring and Evaluation, and Maternal and Child Health officers, receive quality laptops to improve data from the PHCs to the state.”

Elelu also said that Kwara state has recorded improvement in both routine immunisation and supplementary immunisation activity.

“For routine immunisation, there has been over 66% improvement for children who receive vaccine in PHCs,” saying that the data was 33% before 2019.

She also said that the state will join second phase of human Papillional virus vaccine introduction alongside 20 other states in the country.

“This will be for children between ages 8-14 and will commence between May 2 to 5, 2024 in all the wards in Kwara state.”

The executive director said that the vaccine prevents 95% cervical cancer among girls, which she added is the second most deadly cancer in the world.

Representative of World Health Organization, Dr. Emmanuel Eyitayo, appreciated the governor for his commitment to health care provision and prayed it continues.

He said the taskforce will do much more to bring huge glory to the health sector of the state.